Newcastle United 'eye' former Arsenal man in £7m midfield upgrade

Newcastle United are weighing up an approach for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, according to reports.

The Spaniard is a familiar face to English football fans, having spent two seasons on loan at Arsenal. He made 79 appearances for the Gunners during their rebuilding phase under Mikel Arteta.

However, opportunities have been limited for Ceballos since returning to Madrid. Several high-profile midfielders like Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde are ahead of him in the pecking order.

Veterans such as Luka Modric and Toni Kroos also remain key figures at the Bernabeu - making Ceballos surplus to requirements. The 27-year-old has only made one La Liga start for Los Blancos this season, with Carlo Ancelotti reportedly open to letting him leave this summer.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claim Newcastle are one of several clubs keeping tabs on the midfielder, who has 13 caps for the national team. Eddie Howe’s engine room has been one of his biggest headaches throughout the campaign.

Joe Willock, Joelinton and Elliot Anderson have spent most of the season sidelined through injury, with marquee arrival Sandro Tonali suspended for breaching betting regulations. That has left the workload on Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and young Lewis Miley’s shoulders.

Toon chiefs were understood to be in the market for a midfielder in January but were hamstrung by FFP/PSR restrictions. A fresh accounting year starting in July should loosen the purse strings but Ceballos would still provide value.

The report claims Madrid are open to offers and he is valued at around £7million. Ceballos, as a Spain international, would be an upgrade on academy graduate Longstaff, who has come under fire in recent months for a downturn in performances.